Motor-vehicle construction.



E. GRUBNFELDT. MOTOR VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION.

` APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1908. @QI 17; Patented Nov. 30, 1909 2 SHBBTS*SHEET 1.

vE.. GRUENIELD'I MOTOR VBHIOLE CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED JAN.23. 1908.

9415i 5 I Patented NOV. 30, 1909,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, closed means constituting UNITED 'STATES PATENT OEE-ICE...v

EMIL CEUENEELDT, or CLEvELAND, OHIO, assIGNoR To 'rim BAKER Moron. lvEnICLE COMPANY, OE CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OE OHIO. v

norORfvEmcLE CONSTRUCTION. l

Specication of Letters Patent,

Application led January 23, 190B. Serial No. 412,235.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL GRUENFELDT, a subject of the Emperor of- Germany, resident of Cleveland, countyA of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Motor Vehicle Gonstructions, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the'best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish 1t from other inventions.

My invention relates to motor vehicle c'onstructions, its object being to providean arrangement whereby shock incident to startingor stopping the vehicle oreffecting a marked change in the velocity'thereof, may be absorbed so as to inconvenience the occupants of the vehicle in the least possible degree.

The said invention consists of means hereinafter fully described and particularly set forth in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail, certain mechanism embodying vthe invention, the disbut one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be applied.

In said annexed drawin sz-Figure Irepresents a iside elevation o the chassis of an electric motor vehicle of the direct drivetype, to .which my invention has been applied, all parts of the vehicle which are im- 'material to said invention being omitted.

Fig. II represents a detail side elevation .of

part of the invention, upon :an enlarged scale. Fig. III represents, upon an enlarged scale, a side elevation of the motor and con-4 nected parts andfFigfIV represents an end elevation viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. III, ofthe parts shown in the latten Rigidly fixed to, the sleeve a of the rear axle are two arms B, Figs. I andIV, which extend forwardly and to points adjacent to opposite sides ofthe motor C,.as shown. The rear end of each said armis `provided with a split portion b which is formed with a depression b which receives an o'set a' formed upon the sleeve a.. Bolts b2 b2 secure the arm in place upon the sleeve and in conjunction with the offset aand the depression bfix the arm and sleeve relatively to each other, as .will be readily understood.

The forward end of each arm B is flattened as at baand is formed with an eye. Each eye-portion b3 is in contact with lugs 'c respectively, formed integrally with the housing of the motor C, and each such lug is also provided with an eye, the two eyes registering with each other.` Through each pair of such registering eyes passes a bolt D, such bolts being suspended respectively from hangers E which` are, suitably fixed, by means of bolts or rivets, to the frame F of the vehicle, as shown in Fig. I. Each such bolt projects downwardly some distance below 'the end of its respective arm Band is provided at its lower end with a nut al, as shown in Fig. III. Resting upon the nut (l is a washer d upon which is seated a helical spring G, the upper end of which seats against a washer d2 which is in immediate contact .with the part b of the arm B, such spring surrounding the lower end of the bolt as shown. Intermediately of each lug c and the hanger Eis placed a second coiled spring G surrounding the upper part of the bolt as shown, a washer d being placed intermediate of the upper end of said spring and the hanger E. The springG is made of heavier coils than the s ring G r and is therefore considerably sti er than the latter.

From -the above construction it will be noted that the motor is supported partially bythe frame of the vehicle, through the `mevax e and the body ofthe vehicle, through the medium of the yehicle springs H H, and the vehicle body belng at the moment preceding at rest, the latter willtend to remain at rest. Immediately following this conditionl the springs will re-act and throw the vehicle body forward thereby effecting a jolting of ,such body. Immediately .following the sud-- den forwardmovement of the rear wheels but justI prior to the time that the forward motion is transmitted to the body of the vehicle the rear axle will tend to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow. This will cause an upward movement of the forward ends of the arms B B, which, however, will be met with the resistance yexerted by the will therefore be seen that the vehicles springs will not provide all of theV force necessary to transmit the motion from the wheels to the body, but that a part of the forcenecessary to eifect such transmission will be exerted by the mass of the motor itself and by the spring G and transmitted through the vehicle springs. Such transmissionis therefore eiected with less motion between the vehicle axle and the body, and the'reaction of the body which effects the jolt will be considerably lessened.' The motor C and the spring Gr therefore constitute a shock-absorbing device wherein the wei ht of the motor is utilized to reduce the jolting effect of the sudden starting.

Assuming now that the vehicle is in motion and is suddenly stopped it will be seen that a reversal of the operation justI described Will be effected. That is, at the moment just prior to the instant of stopping, the rear axle will tend to rotate in a direction opposite that indicated by the arrow and the forward ends of the arms B B tend to move downwardly. This downward motion is, however, met and resisted by the springs G G. The weight of the motor being in this instance an ineective factor in reducing the shock, the strength of the said Spring G is such that its resisting qualities will compensate for the loss of the effect of the mass of the motor.

`Other modes of applyin the principle of myinvention may be emp oyed, instead of the one explained, and change may be made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means covered by any one of the following claims be employed.

I, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention l. In a motor vehicle construction, the combination of a vehicle frame mounted upon springs; a fixed axle member upon which said springs are mounted; a motor connected with the live member of the axle, and yieldingly supported upon said frame; and means rigidly secured to said iixed axle member and loosely connected with said ltherefor yieldingly supported by said frame;

and means rigidly secured to the fixed axle member, said motor housing resting loosely upon said rigidly secured means.

3. In a motor vehicle construction, the combination of a vehicle frame; a fixed axle member; an arm ixedto said axle member; a motor; yielding means supported by said frame and engaging said motor; said arm bein interposed between said motor and yiel ling means; and additional yieldingr means interposed between said motor and said frame.

4. In a motor vehicle construction, the combination of a vehicle frame; an axle comprising a xed and a live member; a motor and housing therefor, the latter provided with two laterally and oppositely disposed lugs; two arms rigidly secured to the fixed axle member, said lugs resting upon said arms; bolts suspended from the frame and passing through said lu s and arms; and springs mounted upon said bolts upon opposlte sides ofsaid lugs and arms respectively, the outer ends of said springs being in contact-with fixed abutments.

Signed by me, this 21st. day of January, 1908. A

EMIL GRUENFELDT. 

